Triage Based on Preclinical Scores

Current guidelines state that patients who experienced a stroke should usually be transferred to the nearest stroke-treating hospital. In accordance with these guidelines, most patients with large-vessel occlusion (LVO) are transported to a primary stroke center (PSC) that does not offer thrombectomy. From there, these patients must undergo a secondary interhospital transport to a thrombectomy-capable comprehensive stroke center (CSC). Such secondary transfers cause considerable treatment delays, ranging from 96 to 111 minutes. Even when the distance between the PSC and a CSC is only 15 miles, transfer times of 104 minutes have been reported.

Source: JAMA Neurology - April 6, 2020 Category: Neurology Source Type: research